On November 7, Dinanath Batraji, a senior Swayamsevak and dedicated educationist, attained Sadgati. His life is an example for those who believe in selfless service to the nation. To know more about the life of Dinanath Batraji, Organiser Assistant Editor Ravi Mishra spoke exclusively with Dr Atul Kothari, National Secretary of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas. Dr Kothari said, “Batraji had a complete persona. On one hand, he would protest in the streets, while on the other, he would fight cases in court and write books. This was truly exceptional.” Excerpts.
You have worked with Dinanath Batraji for years. How do you remember him?
The life of Dinanath Batraji was devoted to the nation, society, and education. He never sought anything for himself. He was a dedicated Swayamsevak. He was born in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan. When he was 17, Bharat was partitioned. It is worth mentioning that when Hindus were leaving Pakistan, the Sangh instructed all Swayamsevaks to stay until Hindus could safely cross into Bharat. He stayed there, even though his family had already come to Bharat. He risked his life to ensure the safe evacuation of Hindus in Pakistan, even changing his name when necessary. Later, he moved to Bharat. This was the true character of Dinanath Batraji. He completed his education in Bharat and joined Arya Samaj DAV School in Derabassi as a teacher. He also led a movement for Hindi. He was a courageous person.
In those days the condition of Geeta Vidyalaya in Kurukshetra was not up to the mark. Therefore, a three-member committee was formed, and Batraji was one of them. Two of the members believed that Geeta Vidyalaya could not be continued, but Batraji stated that since this school was inaugurated by the second Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkarji, it would not be appropriate to close it. He then became Principal of Geeta Vidyalaya and transformed it into a role model institution in Haryana. After his retirement, he became the General Secretary of Vidya Bharati. Later, he chose to live his life at the Vidya Bharati headquarters rather than in his own home. When Shiksha Bachao Andolan was started in 2005, he was nearly 75-years-old. Since then, he continued fighting in courts and even went to court in 2015. He never lost a single case. Remarkably, he used to provide key documents to the lawyers handling his cases. There were a total of 12 cases, and all the verdicts were in his favour. An important detail is that after coming from Pakistan, Batraji served as a Sangh Pracharak for a few years.
As you mentioned, Batraji was involved in various activities and often took the initiative himself. Could you elaborate on his way of working?
I would say that Batraji’s words and actions were perfectly aligned. A decade ago, there was a time when, if you were going to address a seminar, you were expected to speak in English. Batraji spoke excellent English, but when we began working on Bharatiya languages in 2011, he never delivered a single speech in English. This was his approach. He never spoke ill of anyone and treated everyone equally, from peons to educationists. One of the best aspects of his character was that he was a good listener and would give everyone his attention.
Batraji worked extensively on presenting the accurate history of Bharat, and he authored many books on this topic. What would you say about this?
Batraji had a complete persona. On one hand, he would protest in the streets, while on the other, he would fight cases in court and write books. This was truly exceptional. His dedication made him a complete individual. You can see the impact of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan. After this movement, education and the syllabus became national issues in Bharat for the first time.
Could you name one of Batraji’s books that should be read by the younger generation?
Acharya me Acharatva Jage is one of the books by Batraji that everyone should read.
You mentioned there were a total of 12 cases he fought in courts, all of which he won. Can you name one historic case?
All the cases were significant. However, the first case, in 2005-2006, involved objections over 75 paragraphs in NCERT’s History and Political Science books. We led movements and protests across the country, but the Government did not agree with our concerns, so the matter went to court. The second case was related to a chapter on the Ramayana, included in Delhi University’s BA II curriculum. Batraji fought for the removal of the Three Hundred Ramayanas chapter, which depicted the Ramayan characters in an objectionable manner. This controversial content was compiled by Prof. Upinder Singh, daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, from the book Many Ramayanas by Prof. Paula Richman, published by Oxford University Press. Prof. Richman mentioned in the introduction that she and Romila Thapar aimed to highlight versions other than Valmiki’s Ramayana. We sent a notice to Oxford University Press in Bharat, and they agreed to withdraw the book. However, Delhi University refused to remove the chapter, so we went to the Supreme Court. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ordered Delhi University to remove the chapter, marking a historic victory. This movement lasted for more than three years.
In conclusion, what would you like to describe Dinanath Batraji’s life ?
Dinanath Batraji was the Shiksha Rishi of modern era.
